From British director Phil Harrison, comes this UK/South Africa co-production, titled The Good Man, which tells two parallel stories that intersect in unexpected ways. 

Michael is a young Irishman whose life is looking up on all fronts. He has a family he loves, good friends and a promising career. Sifiso, meanwhile, is a bright, sharp teenager living in an informal settlement on the outskirts of Cape Town – although he is hoping for a place at university and a brighter future. When their stories collide, their impact on each other’s lives is far greater than either could have imagined. Elegant in its simplicity, The Good Man is a sobering meditation on our globalised reality.

It’s not shared exactly how the two lives/stories collide/intersect, but I suppose you’ll find out when you watch the film. Can’t give everything away, right?

The Good Man is Harrison’s feature film directorial debut. It stars Aidan Gillen and Thabang Sidloyi (making his feature film acting debut), as our two leads.

Northern Ireland-based Manifesto Films is producing the low-budget feature, which is set in Belfast and South Africa, shooting in both locations. The project’s financing came from crowdfunding as well as backing from Northern Ireland Screen.

I like the look and feel of the melancholy trailer that follows below, and would certainly check this out if it comes my way. 

The Good Man will be screening this Saturday, 26th October as part of the Africa in Motion Film Festival (AiM) in Scotland. Tickets and other info available here: http://www.filmhousecinema.com/showing/the-good-man/.

Reviews of the film that I’ve read thus far have been strong.

The festival returns to Filmhouse Cinema, Edinburgh, Glasgow Film Theatre (GFT) & Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA), Glasgow, plus ‘pop-up’ cinema venues in both cities..

Watch the trailer for The Good Man below:

The Good Man trailer from Manifesto Films on Vimeo.